Primary therapist vs assessment specialist

The differences between primary therapists and assessment specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a primary therapist and an assessment specialist. Additionally, an assessment specialist has an average salary of $64,402, which is higher than the $59,826 average annual salary of a primary therapist.

The top three skills for a primary therapist include patients, social work and group therapy sessions. The most important skills for an assessment specialist are social work, patients, and edition.

Primary therapist vs assessment specialist overview

	Primary Therapist	Assessment Specialist
Yearly salary	$59,826	$64,402
Hourly rate	$28.76	$30.96
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	85,127	90,625
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Master's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	4	4

What does a primary therapist do?

Primary therapists are the main point of contact for patients concerning wellness and overall mental health. Those who choose this career path will be expected to supervise and manage efficient treatment according to plan, and to manage between six and eight patients at a time, keeping in constant communication with these patients and various specialists.

What does an assessment specialist do?

An assessment specialist is an administrative professional who is responsible for designing and conducting assessment tests for a variety of academic clients. Assessment specialists are required to coordinate and implement the student testing program, which includes assessing an individual child's needs, potentials, and limitations. They must monitor special education or talent and gifted (TAG) staff to ensure that objectives are met. Assessment specialists must also need to know state laws and federal that pertain to educational assessments.

Primary therapist vs assessment specialist salary

Primary therapists and assessment specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Primary Therapist	Assessment Specialist
Average salary	$59,826	$64,402
Salary range	Between $43,000 And $83,000	Between $47,000 And $86,000
Highest paying City	Thousand Oaks, CA	Trenton, NJ
Highest paying state	California	New Jersey
Best paying company	Appalachian Regional Healthcare	Microsoft
Best paying industry	Finance	Technology

Differences between primary therapist and assessment specialist education

There are a few differences between a primary therapist and an assessment specialist in terms of educational background:

	Primary Therapist	Assessment Specialist
Most common degree	Master's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	University of Pennsylvania

Primary therapist vs assessment specialist demographics

Here are the differences between primary therapists' and assessment specialists' demographics:

	Primary Therapist	Assessment Specialist
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 27.1% Female, 72.9%	Male, 31.6% Female, 68.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 3.1% White, 74.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%	Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 3.1% White, 74.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	15%	15%

Differences between primary therapist and assessment specialist duties and responsibilities

Primary therapist example responsibilities.

Case managing, intakes, group and individual session, treatment plans, OASAS standards
Provide clinical therapy for severely emotionally disturb adolescents and their families to aid in the rehabilitation process.
Perform crisis intervention, including management of difficult or resistant patients, utilizing clinically appropriate accept techniques and methods.
Assist in development of extend hour IOP and PHP program.
experience, IOP, individual sessions, assessments, case management.
Assist in developing and assessing progress on individual rehabilitation plans.

Assessment specialist example responsibilities.

Screen, identify, diagnose using DSM nomenclature, treat and manage mental health and/or substance abuse problems.
Collaborate with clinical staff regarding patient care during testing and any accommodations or adjustments require for patients being test.
Work with school assessment coordinators; train and evaluate staff.
Examine EMR documentation to determine resident's needs as required by CMS' MDS regulations.
Comply with CMS guidelines for Medicaid residents for admission, quarterly and significant change updates as appropriate.
Research and create original content for monthly SOE meetings; PowerPoint with synchronous live web camera interactions with faculty.

Primary therapist vs assessment specialist skills

Common primary therapist skills

Patients, 17%
Social Work, 14%
Group Therapy Sessions, 8%
Eating Disorders, 7%
Patient Care, 5%
Crisis Intervention, 5%

Common assessment specialist skills

Social Work, 21%
Patients, 18%
Edition, 7%
Professional Development, 3%
Mental Health Assessments, 3%
Crisis Intervention, 3%

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Primary Therapist vs Assessment Specialist

Updated January 8, 2025

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